Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-08-06

had the satisfaction Of seeing that we had
weathered on her some and were also grad
ually drawing ahead. The view around us
was superbly grand, but things were rather
too lively for any one not seaman to enjoy-
it. The wind was blowing half gale-goo,.
measure--the whole surface of the seething
waters had that Opaque, gray tint which the
feoth and bubbles of heavy blow always
give Monstrous seas rose and fell and rose
again, their tops torn to shreds as they broke
into foam and spray under the fury of the
gale, while the schooner under her shortened
canvas, was pitching in way to make a
landsman's hair stand on end one moment
her sharp stem split huge wave in twain,
ner korefoot the next moment suspended clear
of the water over the succeeding trough of
the sea as her stern sank deep in the embrace
Of the divided wave.
As darkness came over the scene our last
sight Of the Invincible showed that we were
at least holding our own, and, it being my
watch below, turned in, after changing my
wringing wet clothes, to make the most of
what bid fair to be only short rest.
was awakened by the hoarse shout of "all
hands on deck" and tumbed up in a hurry
to find tho wind abating and the crew busy
shaking out the reefs in the fore and mains'ls.
IL being nearly my time to take charge the
skipper went below, while / walked the deck
in command, occasionally stopping to glance
at the compass to sea how we kept our course
About midnight we got the gaff and jib
tops'ls on her and before the captain again
appeared we had the flying jib set as well.
BY daylight it was only blowing a gentle
breeze, but the swell was still heavy, and as
the schooner had all sail set, including a
maintop mast stays'l, all that could be done
was to watch and wait 1t is needless to tell
that, as daylight broke over the still heaving
surface of the ocean, every eye aboard the
vessel was eagerly searching the expanse of
water for sight of our competitor, but,
from the deck there was not sail in sight
A hand sent aloft to the fore cross trees
hailed the deck with the news of bark off
the port beam, heading to the northwest, but
that was all Speculation was rife as to the
whereabouts OF the other craft, the generally
accepted theory Of her absence from view be-
ing that she must have laid to to weather out
the gale and that we had consequently run
her out of sight. This idea impaired pleas
urable feeling to every one on board, as each
one of us had the promise of liberal share
of the winnings in case of crossing the line
frst-this being an offer of our owners as an
inducsment to the crew-besides the natural
desire to win against crack new boat
The remainder of our run to and around
Bermuda was uneventful light winds pre-
vailing all the way, and our course was laid
for New York with the expectation of meet
ing the other craft on her outward journey.
But no Invincible did we see, and on the
early morning OF the ninth day out Sandy
Hook light was sighted. By noon we were
running up the lower bay under light baf-
fling breeze. shifting from east to east south
east and anxiotkly scanning every schooner
in sight, but nothing was seen of the beauti-
full craft for which we looked. We reported
at the finish and found that we had won our
money, as the other vessel was not vet in.
and right well were we satisfied with the
race.
When did the Invincible arrive? some one
asks She was never heard of again. Wheth-
er she struck a floating wreck or whether
thrown on her beam ends and foundered. or
sprung leak under the pressure of the gale
of the first day and night, has not nor never
will be known. Her fate is one of those mys-
teries in which the life of a mariner abounds,
and, until the sea gives up its dead, naught
will never be known of the crew who manned
the good schooner Invincible in her ill fated
race with the now old and weather beaten
coaster Willington.-Carl Torp in Detroit
Free Press.